Chef

Elsrickle, Biggar, Elsrickle, SA, ML12 6QZ
, UNITED KINGDOM

Location: Near Biggar, South Lanarkshire
Hours: Full-time, predominantly daytime hours, including weekends
Salary: Competitive, dependent on experience

Errington’s Barn is an independent farm shop, café and visitor destination situated on our family farm near Biggar.

Food is at the heart of what we do. Our kitchen has direct access to award-winning farmhouse cheeses made using milk from our own sheep and goats, alongside meat produced on the farm and high-quality seasonal ingredients from trusted local suppliers.

We want to create food that is generous, distinctive and firmly connected to the farm: excellent breakfasts and brunches, seasonal lunches, baking, cheese-led dishes and memorable visitor experiences.

We are now looking for an experienced Head Chef who can help us develop the kitchen into a consistently excellent, well-organised and commercially successful operation.

This is an opportunity for a skilled and creative chef to work with ingredients that are genuinely unusual and special.

Our cheeses include Lanark Blue, Corra Linn, Elrick Log and Blackmount, giving the successful candidate the chance to develop dishes around ingredients produced only a short distance from the kitchen.

You will also work with meat from the farm, seasonal vegetables and carefully selected Scottish produce.

We are looking for someone who combines creativity with discipline. The right person will enjoy developing new ideas but will also understand that a successful kitchen depends on consistency, preparation, accurate costing, strong systems and a team that knows exactly what is expected.

The role will suit a chef who wants to make a meaningful contribution to a growing independent food business rather than simply maintain an existing menu.

Develop and deliver a distinctive seasonal menu that reflects the farm, our cheeses and our own meat.

Create attractive breakfast, brunch and lunch dishes with broad customer appeal.

Make intelligent use of seasonal ingredients while controlling waste and protecting gross profit.

Develop signature dishes that strengthen the identity and reputation of Errington’s Barn.

Contribute ideas for future evening events, supper clubs, tastings and visitor experiences.

Support the development of takeaway, retail and prepared-food products where commercially appropriate.

Maintain consistently high standards of flavour, presentation and portioning.

Introduce new dishes through structured trials, full costing, written recipes and team training.

Lead the kitchen team calmly, professionally and positively.

Set clear standards and ensure they are followed consistently.

Plan prep and service so that the kitchen can operate efficiently during both busy and quieter periods.

Produce rotas that reflect forecast sales and agreed staffing budgets.

Train and develop kitchen team members, including less-experienced chefs and kitchen assistants.

Communicate effectively with the General Manager, front-of-house team and business owners.

Create a culture of accountability, teamwork, respect and continuous improvement.

Cost all dishes accurately and work to agreed gross-profit targets.

Control purchasing, stock levels, portion sizes and food waste.

Order from agreed suppliers and make the best possible use of ingredients produced on the farm.

Maintain accurate stock records and participate in regular stocktakes.

Review menu performance using sales, margin and customer-feedback information.

Understand that creativity must be supported by financial awareness and operational practicality.

Identify opportunities to increase covers, average spend, repeat visits and food-related retail sales.

Take full responsibility for food safety, kitchen hygiene and allergen management.

Maintain accurate HACCP, temperature, cleaning, traceability and date-labelling records.

Ensure food is stored, prepared, cooled, frozen and disposed of correctly.

Maintain excellent standards of cleanliness and organisation throughout the kitchen and storage areas.

Ensure the kitchen is…